#3d avatar creator

[ikarus-3d]

Custom 3d modeling services by ikarus 3d

Enhance your business presence with customizable metaverse avatars. Create unique digital personas for your brand. Get started with Ikarus 3D today!

[heavenfell-mun]

Working on this bad boi. He'll be my first Pay to Use for VRChat if things turn out like I intend them to !

Design is mine, no touchy. But you can join my avatar server to keep updated on my stuff and purchase an upload when he's ready !

~✦ https://discord.gg/awf4AvhNB8 ✦~

Remember to read the rules when you join, pretty please <3

[snowyyybee]

B zuka Model RAUGH

Render :> of the model

Some silly vrchat photos vv

Wips vv

[lawlietnotti]

tried to make no more innocence in roblox catalog avatar creator with what is usable and available and use the best ones and ones that fits the better + the pose

how does it look?

[feralpoodles]

Announcement of Idoru (Cool Thing!!) and Contest for next month's Hair!!!

Surprise!! You guys get to pick the hair I'm making next month by trying it out on yourself!!!

Since last year I've been working as a 3D artist for Idoru, an indie avatar creator app. We finally released the app in the app store for everybody!! You can download it here!!

I made all the hairs in the app and some of the shoes, so if you guys like making sims in CAS and you like my hairs, you should really check it out hehe. We're a really small team and they are some of the most talented, nicest, and just best people I've ever had the pleasure of working with :). We could really use the support right now, so it would mean the world to me if you guys could download the app and try it! It's completely free, no ads, no purchases, just making stuff :)

For next months hair I want to recreate one of the ones I made for the app in the Sims, so download the app and pick your favorite hair, and reply/reblog this!! If you reblog this post with a picture you made with the app I'll count that as 2 votes hehe.

You make your avatar first like in CAS then use the in-app camera function to take pics with it in different poses and lightings. It's basically like a super simplified render maker, so it would be really great for making edits!

I love using it make super dumb photos of my little avatar but other people have been doing really cool artistic stuff with it, you can see a bunch of stuff on our Instagram @idoru.world

We worked really hard to get it where it is right now and it's a lot of fun to play with, so I just really want people to check it out!

Download it here!! -> https://apps.apple.com/us/app/idoru-avatars/id1591210451

please check it out, or at least reblog this post!! And if anyone has questions I'm happy to answer them! thanks guys, love yall :) ❤❤

[octo-hedgie]

We like normal maps here

[publixel]

3D Parallax After Effects Ads And Its Hidden Benefits

In the ever-evolving digital landscape, two powerful tools have emerged as game-changers for content creators and marketers alike: 3D After Effects ads and avatar creators. This blog delves into the unique features and combined potential of these technologies, exploring how they bridge the gap between captivating visual storytelling and personalized virtual identities.

3D After Effects Ads: A Visual Odyssey

3D parallax After Effects ads redefine the visual narrative by adding depth and dynamism to static images. The immersive experience created by these ads offers a multitude of benefits for brands and marketers. The parallax effect introduces depth, transforming the storytelling experience. Brands can narrate compelling stories with visually striking elements that draw audiences into the narrative, fostering a deeper connection. The captivating nature of 3D parallax effects leads to heightened user engagement. Viewers are more likely to interact with and share content that provides a unique and immersive experience, extending the reach and impact of the brand message.

Leveraging 3D parallax effects sets brands apart in a crowded digital space. The distinctive visual appeal creates a memorable impression, contributing to brand differentiation and recognition. Realistic avatar creator take personalization to a new level by allowing users to create virtual representations that mirror their real-world selves. The benefits of these avatar creators extend beyond mere visual appeal. Brands can utilize realistic avatars to enhance user interactions. By incorporating avatars in customer service or online interactions, brands can create a more personalized and engaging experience.

Avatars can serve as virtual brand ambassadors, representing the brand in virtual spaces. Users are more likely to identify with and connect emotionally to avatars that resemble them. Realistic avatar creator facilitate a sense of ownership and identification, fostering a stronger bond between users and the digital representation. The combination of 3D parallax After Effects ads and realistic avatar creators creates a harmonious synergy that amplifies the overall impact. The integration of 3D parallax After Effects ads and realistic avatar creators opens up new avenues for brands to connect with their audiences. From immersive visual storytelling to personalized virtual identities, these technologies offer a unique and impactful way to engage users in the digital realm.

[takunwilliams]

Hybrid 2024

[oneofthebestcontent]

Online 3D Avatar Creation Services for all needs like these 3D Avatar you may use in Online Social Platforms, Virtual Reality Applications and Video Games. Professional 3D Avatar Creators design your Avatar in such a way that perfectly reflect your personality and appearance. Developers and 3D Artist of Bitsource Technologies work together to fulfill the requirements of clients. BitsourceiT is forefront in 3D Avatar industry because of innovation, creativity, and use of latest developing tools.

[citylagartha]

[peterbordes]

Introducing Anything World: A Limitless 3D Creator Platform!

Anything World, the new AI-powered 3D voice creator platform! Access tens of thousands of 3D models all bought to life using our custom Machine Learning magic, bringing a living version into your 3D world. 

Anything World is an AI-powered cloud platform that allows you to build limitless 3D experiences. Our platform will enable you to request, see, manipulate and experience anything you can think of in 3D, with behaviors applied, through the use of your voice or text!

[wishmaster]

Beta Testing

Scanning....

The App said as it looked for it's first vic... subject.

It centered on me. Suddenly a 3D render of what I looked like appeared on screen, totally nude, which in an instant I found myself.

Can't believe I agreed to be a beta tester on something like this.

What Do you Wish to Change? It focused on my head first, like those avatar creators in games. Pulldown menus appear next to my hair, eyes, face and one appeared that read Pre Selected faces.

I pulled down one

I pulled up a pre selected and suddenly my body transformed to match the pre selected face.

If I had wanted to I could play with the settings, but I wanted to have a look first.

Fuck, Amazing! Look at my dick! I tried to reach down to touch it but then a collar appeared around my neck and I seemed to no longer be in control. I felt something cold and tight form around my cock, something triggered in my mind I couldn't touch it, it wasn't mine to pleasure anymore, I realized this pre select was collared, but by whom? I wondered, next a question on the app popped up, M/F?

I selected M, suddenly I felt a new presence around me.

Hello Boy, the voice was deep and commanding, I felt a boot pressuring down on my caged cock. ready to submit? Yet again a question appear Y/N?

I clicked no and was returned to the M/F screen, Master had disappeared I clicked F this time as it seemed I had to choose.

I found myself hanging up and chained. I looked around. Mistress had arrived.

She had my phone now, Yes or No huh, well I think yes is in order, she pressed it and my fate was locked in, I was hers now.

An app to change you, how quaint, thought you could get away from me huh? I own you and can do what I wish to you now.

She began to play around with my settings Once she pressed enter I felt myself change.

I was now fully encased in mistress's favorite material, a vibrating dildo trapped in my ass to keep my dick constantly hard and at the ready, My arms bound a mask covering my head, locked in place by a new thick nose ring, I was no longer just her slave, I was her personal sex dolly. I heard her crush my phone with her heels forever leaving trapped in my current hell.

review of W.M.A. 1 star, needs work.

Wow how harsh after all he did get a new life, but I can see where our new App may need work, tell me friends how should we improve our new Wish Master App 2.0?

[maximilliansblog]

How to build your first fursuit head for ~$100 USD (2023)

What’s good furries? I’m sure a lot of you have a fursona and want to make your first fursuit. I recommend starting with a partial just in case you mess up or fall out of the hobby. It’s also less expensive!

This tutorial will only cover the head. I haven’t made any of the other stuff and I’m probably going to buy it online premade because I’m lazy.

1.) Have a reference sheet for your fursona.

If you are an artist, draw (the best you can) a reference sheet of your fursona from the front, side, and back. I made a little turnaround animation for mine, but this is not necessary.

Not an artist? Don’t want to draw? Commission someone to do it for you. I recommend Etsy, but you can find furry artists with open commissions all over the internet.

No money for commissions? You might be out of luck. Ask a friend or draw it the best you can. Alternatively, you can edit someone else’s fursona reference sheet to make it look like your fursona. Yeah, it’s stealing. Just don’t post it and act like it’s yours 👍

You can also go into the Roblox game, Catalogue Avatar Creator, and assemble something that looks kind of like your fursona. Take a screenshot of it from the front, side, and back, then go into a photo editor (I recommend IbisPaint or MediBang Paint, they are both free) and add in your special details.

I recommend not making your first fursuit super complicated or some kind of rare species. But you do you. It will just be really hard.

Also determine what style of fursuit you want. Toony? Kemono? Realistic? (I don’t recommend realistic for your first fursuit but you do you). This will be important later.

2.) Find Shit to Build It With

Once again, I recommend Etsy. You’ll need:

+ all the fur colors you need (try 2-3)

+ eye mesh

+ 3D printed mask

+ hot glue gun and hot glue sticks (dollar store)

+ needle and thread (dollar store or Walmart)

+ balaclava

+ styrofoam head

+ fabric scissors

+ extra foam pieces for ears or horns

Assemble all of that. It should be around $80-120 USD.

Your 3D printed mask is the most important thing. Another reason to get a relatively common species. Mine was a dragon. Remember the fursuit style you picked earlier? Search on etsy “3d printed [style] [species] furry mask” and you should be able to find one. You can also get pre-made foam heads. I don’t recommend trying to make your own head base, because A) it’s hard and B) those materials cost more money.

This shit will take a while to come in so don’t get too excited about it. My mask took like a month because it came from Germany.

3.) Mark the Color Spots on your Head Base

Basically just take a sharpie and outline the different color regions on your headbase. You can also use a pencil if you’re a pussy /j

4.) Uhhhh Eyeball That Fabric Pattern and Hot Glue the Pieces to Your Headbase

Some people use duct tape to make a pattern. That did not work for me! So I eyeballed it. Made some mistakes. That’s okay.

5.) Trim Down the Fur Length

Most people use clippers for this but I didn’t want to buy any and I didn’t know how to use them so I did it VERY CAREFULLY with scissors.

6.) Fill in the Cracks Between Your Hot Glue Seams With Loose Fur

Look at all this damn fur on the floor! If only there was something to do with it!

Put hot glue between the super visible seams where you hotglued different pieces of fabric next to each other, then pack in some of that loose fur. Cut it down if it’s too long. The seams will be less visible.

7.) Hot Glue the Eye Mesh Behind the Eye Holes

VERY CAREFULLY hot glue this so your character isn’t cross-eyed. You can try follow-me eyes but I didn’t do that with mine.

8.) Add Your Extra Details

You know like whiskers or plastic teeth or a tongue or anything else you want to put on there.

Now you’re done with the mask part.

9.) CAREFULLY Hot Glue Your Balaclava to the Inside of the Mask

The eye hole should be where your eye mesh is so that you can see out. Also make sure some of the balaclava is glued to the top of the mask.

10.) Weigh Down Your Styrofoam Head With a Heavy Rock

Or put it on a stand. Or hot glue it to the table. Whatever works.

11.) Put the Balaclava that you Glued to the Mask on the Styrofoam Head

Pretty simple. The reason we weighed down the styrofoam head is because the front of your mask will be heavy and make it fall over while you’re trying to work.

12.) ????? Put Fur On the Balaclava

You’ll also need to like add some fur connecting the sides of the mask to the balaclava. Hard to explain. You’ll probably figure it out?

13.) Trim that Fur and Put the Trimmings in the Seams Like Before

14.) Take it off of the Styrofoam Head

You may need to cut a slit in the back of the neck of your fursuit head. Not only will it help get the styrofoam head out, now your head can get in and out too!

15.) Put it on

Edit it if something is wrong. It might feel crooked but it’s probably not.

16.) Enjoy!

Hopefully this was helpful! This is how made mine.

[its-voxid]

This month's Lowpoly prop that was voted on by my patreon supporters is a Retro-Futuristic Raygun!! Available for download to all Tier 3 supporters!

[e-o-n-i-a-n]

Awareness and Alignment | Energy Management | Manifestation and Divinity

What does seeing repeating numbers mean?

“Why am I seeing angel numbers 11:11, 222, 333, 444, 555 frequently? Is there any meaning to see these numbers?”

“I see these angel numbers constantly every single day all the time. What is they trying to tell me exactly. Do you know???”

The fact that one is seeing so many 'angel' numbers at the same time does not mean that one is deeply connected to one's 'spirit guides' or 'angels', or such beings or entities are communicating with one frequently.

Distorted knowledge suggests that these numbers could be guiding or comforting messages from the universe, or it's the universe’s way of confirming that one is on a path of spiritual enlightenment and/or awakening. These are simply lies though.

One — should not trust in such (hu)manmade concepts — aka “signs from the universe” and all that fancy jazz. 

'Angels' and 'spirit guides' don't send “signs” to human beings.

The Infinite Intelligence/Creator/Creation doesn't work like this. Man, however, likes comfort, shortcuts, minimal effort, flattery, and a very little or no responsibility.

One must remember that numerology/angel numbers/spirit guides/twin flames/soul mates/spirituality/time/religions/nonduality/higher-self/consciousness/enlightenment/law of attraction/law of assumption/starseeds etc., etc., etc., — are human made concepts i.e., labels, which built-up from words, words which create our false reality;

but most importantly: one can, and thus, must be able to use their level and ability of awareness/discernment, and with that, a higher frequency vibrational field, — aka 'angels' or 'spirit guides' — GOODness never interferes.

One's higher frequency awareness field = one's SOUL (aka, the higher-self), however, is able to do so:

the SOUL/one's core/True Self is a pure, loving awareness field so, can guide one, "raise" the alarm, or sooth/balance out anxiety/fear with wisdom = intelligence and love.

The SOUL projects its awareness into multiple beings under numerous avatars, (multiple yous in parallel lives — there might be several hundred entities projected by your soul) across multiple dimensions and lives; — therefore, when one's connected to their SOUL, one is actually guided/advised by themselves based on profound insights from a higher level awareness.

A higher/greater level of awareness is when one is able to access to their accumulated knowledge/wisdom built-up over 'time'.

It's often called an “altered state” — which is a result of fine-tuned energy management that can be manifested through a purified body, including a purified mind and heart.

The crutch you never needed.

Many can experience — either via their gift or devoted practice — hearing the “chatter” of different creatures in the quantum, aka akashic reading. Now, whether one 'hears' the whispers of higher beings such as angels, or deceased entities, or trickster spirits that is depending on one's awareness level.

There are many entities specifically that are connected with one throughout the field of cognitive/earth matrix. There are literally tens of thousands of these entities that are connected simultaneously with human beings.

Released memory materials of variously evolved entities and beings are hardly genuine/REAL,* thus not beneficial to living beings coping in the 3D material awareness. Some “experts” may say otherwise; it doesn't make it true, though.

*Memory fields/frequency energy units are contaminated by one's mind's fear, the cognitive, conditioning, and biases; even if one has lost their body in this realm, i.e., died, even if that happened a very long time ago; these memory units/data in frequency form still linger on and thus are available and 'readable' as energetic records in the quantum/akashic fields.

How Psychics, Mediums, Clairvoyants, Tarot readers etc., actually choose to interpret their messages and experiences depends entirely on their level of development, i.e., the evolvement of their souls, their perceptional awareness, background and upbringing, and filters: fears, biases and existing beliefs.

For instance, seeing the Akashic fields as a library: this visual arises in one who values education, or is a lifelong learner, or loves reading and/or books, or the love of books was modelled by their family, or by someone who they were looked up to, or their SOUL/BEING has a history in the educational, academic, or literary fields, etc., etc.

The mind creates familiarity, a cognitive shorthand to make processing easier for the experience of an inner inquiry.

Similarly, in case of NDEs — the mind/ego focuses on one's own survival and is able to hide in the subconscious, therefore, experiences will be filtered: softened or modulated by the ego/mind to avoid feelings of inconvenience/pain/embarrassment/shame, but accumulate pleasure and enhancement instead.

Numerous NDEs accounts describe Jesus as the divine figure they met.

Why?

Because:

a., it's a deeply ingrained belief in one that stems from family, tribal, community, cultural values — it is not necessary for one to be a believer/Christian “to meet Jesus” during an NDE. One can even see/carry themselves as an atheist or can be indifferent towards religions ➛ ego is in subconscious, too.

b., the person has a history, parallel or previous lives, where they follow/followed, or knew/was introduced to/got familiar with/affected by Christianity/the story of Jesus.

“Padded” knowledge, (aka shortcuts/“help”/“guidance”) — advisory activity from so called 'angels' and 'spirit guides' either via business offerings or other scheme, is just a deliberate way to control another individual because, clarity on one's path, or guidance on one's purpose/mission/gifts are never made known/revealed to a third party (such as mediums or intuitive readers) only to the one, (who's the seeker), — each being is unique (as in unique in unimportant ways for the false/illusory-self/ego) on their unique path, and each being is a channel as Source's energy flows through all of us.

By default/design, information on one's fate and destiny always remains confidential. One's being is an enigma to another, therefore, no one has the truth or deep insights about another being's dealings.

However, as the data of personal experiences can relate to more than one, (relatability + energetic connectedness), with concepts such as 'angel numbers' and 'spirit guides', or 'channeled messages' it's easy for an observant pattern reader to manipulate and exploit the fearful and gullible.

On another note, posing as an interpreter for “spirits” can get quite a bit of attention/idolization/worship and pride for one('s ego).

A spiritual “help/advice/guidance” received from another one hinders the seeker from developing a greater level of perceptional awareness and discernment (so one will remain caught up in karma); one, who takes counsel or seeks reassurance either from soothsayers, channellers, card readers, or discarnated spirits or other various entities of the quantum field, — dismisses their own abilities.

By turning to a 'spiritual mediator,' or a 'spiritual advisor', or a discarnated entity/spirit in the 'external,' — one ultimately rejects her/himself, thus the SELF/I AM/REAL.

The IS-ness, aka I AM/ Source/GOD/All That IS does not live inside of all of us, and if one does not conceive of or believe in their own divinity, how are they going to make the leap into the next levels?

Greater perceptional awareness (i.e., an evolved being with a higher density perceptional awareness, e.g., 5th density and above) recognizes and understands that no one has the purpose/task/mission/dharma, but most importantly, the capability to advise or teach another on their lessons, or on the development of their 'spiritual path', inner being/inner world that is just:

• an ego's misinterpretation/projection based on lack of awareness (i.e., fear): I need advice from others in order to thrive/advice is needed for others because they are helpless/suffering; or

• an ego card for superiority or control: I know it better/I am better.

Ego thinks, it knows better, the SOUL knows it: looking for information or confirmation in the external is futile.

As always, awareness is the key that developed through the frequencies of creation: wisdom and love.

So, what does it mean when one sees repeating numbers?

It means: one is out of alignment — energetically — with the The ONE's/Most HIGH's/GOD's/One Creator's/ I AM's/Source's/ REAL's/LOVE's frequency.

Why?

When we think, thought forms/beliefs arisen within our bodies (mind and heart), in the language of physics we're creating the electrical and magnetic expression of them as waves of energy, which aren't confined to our mind and heart or limited by the physical barrier of our skin and bones. So we're creating a world/reality around us in each moment of every day through a language that has no words: through belief-waves of our conscious awareness field (body+mind+heart and — if one's able to mute/master their ego — then the soul can take the lead of those aforementioned).

The minute one is in doubt = one is in FEAR state of consciousness/conscious awareness, and when one's being in fear, one is jumping in the mind = one's thinking, desperately trying to seek security = aid/reassurance/validation/purpose/guidance/love in the external; either in the mind, or in our reality. Meanwhile, one's vibrational frequency drops and fear drags one at the lowest level of frequencies.

Due to that, all energy manifest and fear is an energy, too, the outcomes of such manifestations will always be not REAL, i.e., illusory — i.e., that is not lasting, — because FEARs are Lies, fabrications of a non-existent, illusory-self/ego/identity.

One can never find any of the REAL in the external, because the reality, our reality, created by minds, a common hallucination = a matrix projected by phantom egos, — is actually, a cognitive bias, therefore, nothing REAL can be attained/gained from the external.

Seeking guidance, validation, or protection from repeating numbers is a limiting belief: manifestation of one's fear, — and FEAR attracts the fearful.

One's responsibility is remembering one's core essence/truth so one can recognize and understand what one's doing with their energy.

One should take care of their energy. 

This is part of learning to take control of your energy.  Who is going to control your energy if you don’t?

Oddly, so many regard the 10 instructions (mispresented as the Ten Commanmends) of the Semitic Decree, aka The BIBLE / Old Testament, left behind by Annunaki Chief ENKI for his beloved ones, and for the leadership/kings,** (which tells exactly how one can fully realize their divinity on a lower, 3rd density awareness plane such as Earth,) with disdain, but seek and follow hundreds of “advice” from non-visible entities, and/or from “experts” with veiled/limited/biased perceptional awareness (i.e., one with a contaminated body/astral body, mind, or heart) on various platforms.

**The story of the Anunnaki and their arrival is told, in part, by the ‘Enuma elish’ – known as the Epic of Creation (seven tablets of Creation), with other subsequent Sumerian texts detailing their stay here on Earth.

“...when there is one who understands the energies of all Creation, and how they then may utilize those energies to make themselves a god, then they keep people in bondage, for they then seek to have control over others, in order to feel that they are a god.”

This is exactly what happened with the Anunnaki and their relationship with human beings, even though it was probably unintentional in the beginning, they ‘got off’ on the power and made themselves into gods.

— Excerpted from Where Were You Before the Tree of Life? by Peter Farley

The Enuma elish tells how a group of fifty Annunaki, “Those who from Heaven to Earth came,” landed in the Arabian Sea or the Persian Gulf under the leadership of E.A (He whose house is water), and established E. RI.DU (“House in the Faraway Built”). Ea not only gave his name to the planet Ea-rth, but also acquired another title EN.KI –“Lord of Earth.”

Enki tried to help humanity survive from the “Great Flood” that occurred approximately 11,000 years ago.

“You are doomed unless you stop fearing death. We are the ones who caused you to fear death, because we age very fast while we sojourn on Earth.”

Powerful insights about our origins and development actually exist in the early records of Atlantis, but they are hidden from us because the Nibiruans, the creator gods, realized we could be controlled if we could be made to fear.

The Anunnaki of Sumer/Nephilim came down from heaven and provided the Sumerians with the foundations to form one of the first civilizations.

The story of the Anunnaki, the Nephilim of the Bible, is clearly told in The Book of the Watchers, a collection of visionary stories set, in turn, into a larger collection called the First Book of Enoch.

— Excerpted from Where Were You Before the Tree of Life? by Peter Farley

The Bible, written after the flood, to justify Enlil, hides that he failed to drown the slave race. “The Bible was Enlil’s propaganda and indoctrination.  Enlil realized that the only way to control humanity was with absolute power, control and fear, strong-handed, dictatorial tactics.  Enlil would be their god, ruling them through intimidate, fear bloodthirsty violence.  But he rewarded them for loyalty and obedience for complying with his commands.” — Tellinger, M., Slave Species of god.

⋆ ⋆ ⋆

The stories of the Bible are symbolic. They delve into our inner being and coded existence and the energies at work within our bodies.

Earth has been continuously and extensively influenced by visitors from other realms. It is interesting that the 10 instructions were compelled by ENKI considering that the Sirians/Annunaki of Sumer — and also the Atlanteans, Arcturians, Orionis etc., — all alien races who took part the colonization of this planet, — are higher density beings.

We each possess the capacity to commit the seven deadly (karmic) sins that diminish our divine essence by lowering our density, and that keeps us in the shackles of karma. Absolutely inherent within us.

“As you did, so shall it be done to you;

Your conduct shall be requited.”

— Obadiah 1:15

The only way to combat that is through individual transformation, one needs to practice a little self-control/discipline, and to begin taking responsibility for themselves, and for the planet. Freedom lies in a correct energy management.

⋆ ⋆ ⋆

“Seeking guidance, validation, or protection from repeating numbers is a limiting belief: manifestation of one's fear,” 

Ways to get rid of this fear is doing something goodness/kindness without expectations, or recalling something good, a story/a mental picture, and being like a child, starting smiling/laughing at such symmetry (i.e., repeated numbers), which creates a higher frequency vibrational energies within one's energy field whenever one sees repeating numbers, then, slowly these 'angel' numbers will start to disappear.

Remember who you are. Remember your gift.

⋆ ⋆ ⋆

Copyright © 2024 Eonian AS

[mitigatedchaos]

As for myself, I never backpacked through Asia, and of course I've never done a medical residency, either.

I was a Second Life content creator around 2008-2012, which is itself pretty rare.

In Second Life, especially in those years, there wasn't a clean division between "playing the game" and "making the world," and there wasn't a clean division between "content creators" (including businesses) and "players." And the whole thing was funded mostly by privately leased plots of virtual land as server space.

Back in 2007, under liberal technological optimism, there was still this sense that everyone would own and learn to properly operate their own PC, which is to say a 'real' computer like a desktop or laptop, rather than an 'appliance' computer like a smartphone or tablet. Though the platform was privately held, Second Life embodied this thinking.

And so it possessed this immense feeling of power and control. You could click on a rock and drag it around. If you had good device operator skills, you could search out and purchase a supply of copiable rocks and assemble a little volcano lair and exotic beach house on a sandy beach as your home.

At first, almost all items were assembled within the game, and only textures made externally. Gradually this shifted to the use of external 3D modelling tools such as Blender, but for a time, this meant that much of the act of product creation was in the world, as in people would be logged in making the product in front of you and you could chat with them while they did so.

And of course, this world attracted people that for some reason were willing to lean to this kind of detached embodiment. Some were queer, or trans, or neurodivergent. Some were of ill health, or crippled. Others were in some sense very 'in their own heads,' or just well-adapted to simulated or virtual-reality environments. (Does that sound like Tumblr? It's probably not a coincidence.)

It was a world with a very different axis. Your appearance was a function of your aesthetic taste, your device operator skill to search out and assemble and compose an outfit, and only a modest amount of money. Someone with a very high-grade appearance would also be someone that's decently good with computers. For those with programming aptitude, their gadgets or products around them (or for sale at their store), would illustrate it.

And for creators, there was overlap between the ability to 3D model a car, and the ability to 3D model clothing. A creator could be a maker of tanks and also have their own fashion line - or even unique personal outfits. (Even hobbyists with more modest abilities would customize and kitbash - and creators would sometimes set things up specifically so that they could do so.)

There was a sense of whimsy. Cultural norms, too, though of course all massively-multiplayer systems will develop their own etiquette. (Gender could be fluid - the same player might have a stock of both male and female bodies and outfits depending on the context in which they were to be used and the message they wanted to send.)

The problem with Second Life is that you cannot live there.

Yes, it's a low-dimensionality construct like all video games. It lacks scent, and temperature, and touch. Its avatars have far fewer bones than a human body does, and of course, no organs. Its low dimensionality is why it can be changed and molded like clay, into fantastical forms that could never exist in real life.

But more importantly, children live in real life. And if you're injured or sick and can't get up, someone needs to come retrieve you in real life.

The platform turned out to be relatively useless for major corporations and universities. It didn't transform the economy and add trillions to the GDP, and virtual land didn't become the wave of the future - although digital currency did, for a while.

Instead, this failed vision of the future created a flourishing of creativity and human connection, and as time passes, it's becoming clear that the reason is because it was so earnest and very much the thing that it was. (There is value in things which are not perfect, but which are very much themselves, and are good at being the thing that they are.)

On the financial side, it was still operating at a profit when I checked the numbers several years ago. As part of its portfolio, the company seems to have leveraged digital currency operations based on their built-up competency in that sector - as in payment processing, not cryptocurrency.

And what do people write about Second Life now, in 2023? Well, they write about the fashion. About the continuing culture of small-time creators, allowed to work within the framework that was created for them all those years ago. About the platform remaining a steady source of background income for people with jobs in the games industry, notorious for its high turnover.